Air-cooling device.



W. H. THOIVIAS.

AIR COOLING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. I4, 191e.

` Patented Jan. 23, 1917.

I: I I.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

, WIWI/8858:

III/l/E/I/TOR M/f//fs H. 7710/7705 J Arran/VH W. H. THOMAS.

AIR COOLING DEVICE.

APPLlcAloN man FEB. 14. Isls.

Patented Jan. 23, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Mlm/Tof? W/Y//S H. Tha/mrs 4 Arron/ver y WIT/VESSES:

WILLIS H. THOMAS, 0F PORTLAND, OREGON, 'ASSIGNOR OF 'ONE-HALF T0 EINAJEL W. LOHSE, 0F PORTLAND, OREGON.

AIR-COOLING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented dan. 23, limit..

Application led February 14, 1916. Serial No. 78,319.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIS H. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Portland, county of Multnomah, State of Oregon, have invented a certain new and useful lmprovement in lln a device of this character, certain characteristics necessary to insure the successfuloperation of the device are essential, among which might be mentioned the following: 'llhe screenmust be of a peculiar construction and arrangement in order to absorb and distribute uniformly, in the path of the air currents, the proper amount of liquid. Furthermore, this screen must be of such construction that it will not retard the air currents to any considerable extent.

The main object of my invention is to provide an improved device of this character Ain which will be embodied the characteristics just mentioned.

I accomplish the object of my invention by providing an elevated, insulated reservoir containing liquid, and supporting from said reservoir a screen comprising vertical wick elements so arranged that the liquid in the reservoir will flow by gravity down the wick elements and be absorbed by the air currentsY passing through the screen.

ln the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a front elevation of my device with certain parts shown in section; Fig. 2 is a verticalsection taken approximately in the plane indicated'by the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l; Fig. 4 is a fragmental right side elevation of the upper portion of Fig. l; Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic front elevation showing the relative arrangement of the' screen elements and their associated parts; and Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic, horizontal section through the screen, showing an alternate arrangement of the vertical wicks.

An elevated wooden tank, a, is provided at its forward end with va longitudinal'recess b. A metallic reservoir c is adapted to be nested in the tank a and contains the liquid, usually cold water, which is to be used for cooling or otherwise impregnating the air currents blown by an electric fan la. A top d is adapted to close the upper end of the tank a. This construction effectively insulates the liquid in the reservoir from outside heat and permits the same i to remain cool for a considerable length of time. Formed in the bottom of the reservoir c, above the recess b, is a valve body e, in which is rotatably mounted a cylinder valve rllhe latter is provided on its outer end with an operating lever g. rllhe tank c, valve body e and valve f are provided with ports adapted to be brought into registration With each other by the rotation of the valve, so as to permit the liquid to flow from the reservoir into the recess b at any rate desired. The loor ofthe recess b is made with a plurality of vertical slots h, and the elongated bushings i are fixed in these slots. A lower tank j is channelshaped (as shown in Fig. d) so as to permit the placing of an electric fan 7s in the position shown by the broken lines of Fig. 2. rlFhe tanks a and j are spaced from each other by the supporting frame members Z. rllhe tank y' is further provided with a removable cover m adapted to be fastened on the top of the tank by the latches n. rllhe front portion of said cover is provided with a plurality of vertical slots o in which are alixed the elongated bushings p, and the upper ends of the latter are flared outwardly as indicated by q. A screen, supported vertically between the upper and lower tanks, is illustrated in Figs. l, 3, and 5, and comprises a fabric member r, of considerable length and having a width equal to 'the inside width of the bushings z', p. Said fabric member is threaded alternately through the upper and lower bushings in thev manner indicated in Fig. 5, the ends of the member 1" hanging into the lower This construction provides a series of parallel, vertical wicks s, spaced apart so as to allow free passage of the air currents between them, as Vindicated by the arrows in Fig. 2. A wire screen u is laid horizontally vin the recess so that it will rest on the upper ends of the wicks s. On top of the screen u is a horizontal wick element 11, preferably made of the same material as the member -r and this wick underlies the valve so that when the latter is open the liquid will drop directly on and ksaturate said wick.

Fixed on the forward supporting members Z are the lateral arms w, provided with bearings lw', x. A cylindrical member 3,/v is rotatably mounted in the bearing w and is provided with a knurled nut z on its outer end and a collar y on its inner end, which prevents longitudinal movement of said member. The member y is further provided with a threaded longitudinal bore. The' bearing w is provided with a slot m2. A rod 4 extends through the parallel wicks s, and has a flattened end 5 whichis adapted to slide inthe slotted portion m2 and prevent rotation of said rod. The other end of the rod 4 is threaded and adapted to be engaged by the threaded bore of the member y. When the nut m is turned, the rod 4 will move longitudinally. The frictional engagement between the rod 4 and the wicks' s is suicient to cause these wicks, which are quite iexible, to move whenever the rod 4 is moved.- If desired, a more positive connection betweenthe wicks and rod may be used. The general operation of my device is as follows: `When the valve f is opened, to the degree desired,the liquid will drip through 'onto the horizontal wick velement v and thoroughly and uniformly saturate the latter. The capillary attractive characteristics of the wire screen u will cause the liquid to be deposited on the upper ends of the wicks s, upon which said screen rests, and the liquid will then flow by gravity down the latter. The air currents, propelled by the fan k, will pass through the screen and will absorb a large percentage of the moisture carried by the screen. Any surplus moisture not absorbed by the air will drlp down into the lower tank y'. It willbe noted that the wicks s are located in parallel vertical planes (see Fig. 3) and are of such width that the air currents contact with the whole surface -of each wick. If it is desired to deflectthe 60.

air currents in any other direction, the nut a is turned so as to adjust the horizontal rod 4 in the required direction, whereupon the wicks s will be turned correspondingly.

'In Fig. 6 the wicks are\ arranged symmetrically with respect to a center line, and this arrangement causes a convergence and concentration of the air currents.

I claim:

l. In combination with an electric fan, a device of the character described comprising an upper tank and a lower tank rigidly spaced apart, the bottom of said upper tank being made with a longitudinal recess, a plu rality of vertical wicks extending between the recess of the upper tank and the top of the lower tank, an auxiliary wick in the recess overlying the upper ends of the vertical wicks, a reservoir located in the upper tank, and a valved connection for permitting liquid to How from the reservoir onto the auxiliary wick.

2. In combinationvwith an electric fan, a device of the character described comprising an upper tank and a lower tank rigidly spaced apart, the bottom of said upper tank being made with a lon itudinal recess, a plurality of vertical wie (s `extending between the recess of the upper tank and the top of the lower tank, a screenk element in the recess of the upper tank overlying the upper ends of the wicks, an auxiliary wick overlying the screen element, a reservoir located in the upper tank, and a valved connection for permitting liquid to How from the reservoir onto the auxiliary' wick.

3. In combination with an electric fan, a device of the character described comprising -an upper tank and a lower tank rigidly spaced apart, the bottom of said upper tank being made with a longitudinal recess, a plurality of vertical wicks extending between the recess of the upper tank and the top of the lower tank, an auxiliary wick in the recess overlying the upper ends of the vertical wicks, a reservoir located in the upper tank,

a valved connection for permitting liquid to- ,ow from the reservoir onto the auxiliary wick, and means for varying the planes of the vertical wicks.

4. In combination with an electric fan, a device of the character described comprising an upper tank and a lower tank rigidly spaced apart, the bottom of said upper tank being made with a longitudinal recess, a plurality of vertical wicks extending between the recess of the upper tank and the top of the lower tank, a screen elementin the recess of the upper tank overlying the upper ends of the wicks, an auxiliary wick overlying the screen element, a reservoir located in the upper tank, a valved connection for permitting li uid to flow from the reservoir onto the auxiliary wick, and means for varying the planes of the vertical wicks.

5. In combination with an electrician, a

device of the character described comprising an upper tank and a lower` tank rigidly spaced apart, the bottom of said upper tank neieea being made with a longitudinal recess, a,plu rality of vertical wic s extending between the recess of the upper tank and the top of the lower tank, an auxiliary wickin the recess overlying the upper ends of the vertical wicks, a reservoir located inthe upper tank, a valved connectiony for permitting liquid to fiow from the reservoir onto the auxiliary wick, a rod connecting the wicks, and means for moving said rod longitudinally.v

6. lin combination with an electric fan, a device of the character described comprising an upper tank and a lower tank rigidly spaced apart, the bottom of said upper tank being made with a longitudinal recess, a plurality of bushings fixed in the floor ofv said recess, a plurality of bushings fixed in the top of the lower tank, a plurality of wicks extending between the upper and lowerbushings, anI auxiliary wick the recess overlying theV upper ends of the vertical wicks, a reservoir located in the upper tank, and a valved connection for permitting liquid to dow from thereservoir onto the auxiliary wick.

7. lin combination with an electric fan, a

vdevice of the character described comprising an upper tank and a lower tank rigidly spaced apart, the bottom of said upper tank being made with a longitudinal recess, a plurality ofbushings fixed in the floor of said recess, a plurality of bushings fixed in the top of the lower tank, a pluralityl ofwicks extending between the upper and lower bushings, a screen element inthe recess/of the upper tank overlying the upper ends of the wicks, an auxiliary wick inthe recess overlying Ythe upper ends lof the vertical wicks, a reservoir located in the upper tank, and a "valved `connection for permitting liquid to flow from the reservoir onto the auxiliary wick.

8. lin combination with an electric fan, a device of the character described comprising an upper tank' and a' lower tank rigidly spaced apart, the bottom of said upper tank being made with a longitudinal recess, a plurality` of bushings fixed in the. floor of said recess, a plurality of bushings fixed in the top of the lower tank, a' plurality of wicks extending between the upper and Ilower bushings, a screen element in the recess of the upper tank overlying the upper ends of the wicks, an auxiliary wick in the recess overlying the upper ends of the vertical wicks, a reservoir located in the upper tank,

a valved connection for permitting liquid to fiow from the reservoir onto the auxiliary wick, and means for Varying the'planes of the vertical wicks.

9. 1n combinatlon with an electric fan, in a device ofthe character described, an upper tank and a lower tank rigidly spacedapart, the bottom ot said upper tank being made wir connection for permitting liquid to flow from the reservoir onto the auxiliary wick. l

10. lin combination with an electric fan, in a device of the character described, an upper tank and a lower tank rigidly spaced apart, the bottom of said upper Atank being made with a longitudinal recess, a plurality ofelongated bushings fixed in the fioorof said recess, a plurality of elongated bushings fixed in the top of the lower tank, the lower bushings being made with flared upper ends, a screen supported between the upper and lower tanks, said screen comprising a wickk adjustably threaded alternately throughthe -upper and lower bushings, a screen element in the recess of the upper tank overlying the upper ends of the wick, an auxiliary wick overlying the screen element, a reservoir located in the upper tank, a valved connection for permitting liquid to How from the reservoir onto the auxiliary wick, and means for varying the planes of the vertical wicks.

` 11. 1n combination with an electric fan, in a device of the character described, an upper tankand a lower tank rigidly spaced apart, the bottom of said upper tank being made with a longitudinal recess, a plurality of elongated bushings xed in the floor of said recess, av plurality of elongated bushings fixed in the top of the lower tank, the lower in the recess of the upper tank overlying the upper ends of the wick, an auxiliary wick overlying the screen element, a reservoir located in the upper tank, a valved connection for permitting liquid to flow from the reservoir onto the auxiliary wick, means forfvarying the planes of the vertical wicks, a horizontal rod connecting the wicks, and adjust? abhla means for moving said rod longitudina y.

l2. 1n combination with an'electric fan, in a device Vof the character described, an upper tank and a lower tank. rigidly spaced apart, .the bottom of said upper tank being made with 'a longitudinal recess, a plurality of elongated bushings fixed in the door of said v recess, a plurality of elongated bushings bushings, a wire screen element in the recess of the upper tank overlying the upper ends of the Wick, an auxiliary fabric Wick overlying the wire screen element, a reservoir located in the upper tank, and a valved connection for permitting liquid to How from the reservoir onto the auxiliary wick.

WILLIS H. THOMAS. 

